Is Inger a boy's or girl's name?

Inger is primarily a girl's name.

When was Inger most popular?

Inger reached its peak popularity in 1966 with 118 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Inger?

Inger is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 1,367 babies in the U.S. since 1888. Its peak was in 1966.

Inger

An uncommon Norse pick — distinctive and rare.

Girl's nameNorseNot ranked recently

Rare name

Meaning & Origin

a female given name

Inger is a girl's baby name of Norse origin, from the Old Norse Ingríðr, composed of Ing (the Norse fertility god) and fríðr meaning 'beautiful, beloved.'

Inger is a classic Scandinavian name, widely used in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Actress Inger Stevens, the Swedish-American star of 1960s Hollywood, gave the name visibility in the United States. It has the clean, bright Nordic quality of Scandinavian names — simple, strong, and deeply rooted in Norse mythology.

Compare Inger with another name

Popularity Over Time

Inger has 69+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1888.

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Inger
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
1980s	58	#7397	▼
1970s	342	#2778	▼
1960s	627	#1591	▲
1950s	101	#4046	▲
1940s	23	#4630	▼
1930s	30	#4149	▼
1920s	53	#3963	▼
1910s	66	#3033	▲
1900s	10	#2053	▼
1890s	47	#1352	▲
1880s	10	#1372	—

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(69 years, 1888–1986)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Inger
Year	Births	Rank	Change
1986	5	#11581	-4 (-44.4%)
1985	9	#7165	+1 (12.5%)
1984	8	#7644	-3 (-27.3%)
1983	11	#5947	+3 (37.5%)
1981	8	#7649	-9 (-52.9%)
1980	17	#4393	-3 (-15.0%)
1979	20	#3816	+4 (25.0%)
1978	16	#4332	-4 (-20.0%)
1977	20	#3669	-6 (-23.1%)
1976	26	#2891	-1 (-3.7%)
1975	27	#2763	-3 (-10.0%)
1974	30	#2518	+2 (7.1%)
1973	28	#2588	-4 (-12.5%)
1972	32	#2329	-35 (-52.2%)
1971	67	#1504	-9 (-11.8%)
1970	76	#1374	+24 (46.2%)
1969	52	#1675	-3 (-5.5%)
1968	55	#1545	-3 (-5.2%)
1967	58	#1467	-60 (-50.8%)
1966	118	#932	+17 (16.8%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Last updated May 2026 · Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (1888–1986) · Methodology